With Memorial Day behind us, summer has finally arrived, bringing a refreshing and relaxed atmosphere for everyone! While we may notice fewer significant announcements as people take a well-deserved break, this slower pace is an excellent opportunity to reflect, recharge and prepare for exciting new initiatives. Let’s fully embrace this vibrant season and make the most of our time together! Here are some ways to maximize PR pitching during the quieter summer months.

Differentiate Yourself This Summer

As fall approaches, reporters often experience an increased workload. Many short-lead reporters take advantage of the slower summer months to prepare important stories. In the summer, reporters have more time to review pitches. Publications such as daily newspapers, broadcast outlets and online platforms may not be actively seeking pitches, giving you an opportunity to distinguish yourself.

Connect the Meaningful Dots

Build meaningful connections! If your organization experiences a quieter summer, seize this wonderful opportunity to deepen your relationships with reporters. Take time to explore key journalists’ work and familiarize yourself with their areas of focus. Engage with them on social media by sharing valuable content, joining their discussions, and offering your unique perspectives. By highlighting your expertise, you can position yourself as a go-to resource for their future stories. Let’s make the most of this season and connect!

Elevate Your Online Presence

This summer is the perfect time to boost your online visibility. Build meaningful connections with reporters and direct them to your website and content channels to showcase your unique voice and expertise. Keep your content fresh with engaging blog posts and videos and maintain an active social media presence. While the summer pace may seem relaxed, it’s a fantastic chance to nurture media relationships and align your content with what reporters truly care about. Let’s make this season a rewarding opportunity for growth and connection!

Summer Is the Time to Embrace Innovation For Autumn and the Holiday Season

While it might feel early, fall and winter are just around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to connect! Many long-lead publications are gearing up for their end-of-year stories, with a 3- to 6-month lead time. This summer presents a fantastic opportunity to pitch your innovative ideas. Check out their editorial calendars in the media kits — they’re a valuable resource to align your pitches with their upcoming content!

In branding, there are many processes that agencies adopt. The foundation of the models that agencies use are often centered on a brand vision or promise. After your brand’s vision and promise comes the personality or character that your brand uses to express itself, as if it were a person. Remember that inconsistency in delivering on the promise dilutes customer or client faith in the competency in your organization. Thirdly, your brand needs positioning. Call me and I’ll be happy to share more detail about this important part of the exercise.

Affiliating With Your Brand

Lastly comes the brand affiliation. What do your clients or customers want others to think about them because they are affiliated with your brand? Affiliation is key and starts with your internal team. After all, they are the closest to your brand. So if you have recently rebranded, and your current marketing partner isn’t telling you to start engaging your internal team first, you should think again about your brand’s priorities.

Branding is Alchemy

These important marketing exercises can seem like a magical process of transformation for a company. An alchemy of sorts. Successful branding makes everything you do make sense, and gives you a clear path of where to go next. So who are we to fight the alchemy?

In order to deliver consistent messaging, business leaders and owners need to remember a few things when they rebrand. First of all, you, dear business owner, cannot create your brand in a vacuum. Context matters. The market matters. And, again, we say this often as a reminder of how to come away from a brand exercise with strong results.

The Three Cs of the Branding Process

Of course, difficult conversations sometimes happen during this process. And, on the Porch, we are here for it. We believe in and practice these three pillars in our marketing: Conviction, connection and consistency. We’ve talked about these before. And we will talk about them again, and again. Because building your brand around these pillars works.

Conviction

We know business owners and leaders have conviction about their company and their brand. It’s the passion, the energy and the will to be successful. It’s a growth mindset. When you are convicted about your brand and absolute about a growth mindset, the magic will happen. When we work with companies, we talk on their conviction as our own. We want the success to happen as much as they do.

Connection

Connection is about building a space where communication is genuine with branding and connection to your audience. It’s about reaching your customers and clients on a 1-to-1 basis. Meeting their needs. Solving their problems.

Remember, you are not your customer or your client. Your personal preferences may not be the needs of your customer. One of the hardest things to do for a business owner is to step out of their own shoes into the shoes of their customers and clients. Recognize and meet their needs. Don’t talk at them, talk with them. Connect.

Consistency

Consistency is where we see sometimes really strong business fall short. The business leaders want to jump in and get hands on. Maybe they LOVE the creative side of the business so they want to design their own logo, letterhead, website etc. And, the result in our several plus years of experience, is that this is a disaster.

I myself love the creative side of the business; however, I am not a graphic designer, so I let the trained professionals do their job. If you’re a business owner thinking about consistency yet trying to do parts of the branding process that are out of your wheelhouse, question yourself: Is this the right way for me to spend my time?

Growing Your Brand

On the Porch, we are so grateful for business leaders and owners who are open to defining their look and their voice with us. We love working with owners and leaders who want to grow their brand beyond their comfort zone, realizing business success comes from this eye-opening, defining process. Together we can accomplish great things throughout the branding process and into all the marketing work beyond that!

This month, we are welcoming Peyton Gray, our newest intern rocker, to the team. So as we always do, we asked her a few questions to get to know her better! She’s a student at The University of Texas in Austin majoring in journalism. Peyton is passionate about thoughtful communication, creative collaboration and building meaningful connections through media and storytelling. We love that!

What is the biggest misconception about marketing today?

I think a common myth is that good products will sell themselves and success will happen immediately, which I believe overlooks human behavior and crowded markets. Marketing is even more important today than it ever has been because brands must work to intentionally capture their audience and build trust. 

What advice would Peyton Gray give to her younger self?

If I could talk to my younger self, I would tell her that everything works out, even if it doesn’t happen exactly how you planned it!

What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned so far at school?

College has taught me how important it is to build a strong community. Finding people you can relax, study, work and have fun with creates a space where you not only survive but begin to thrive. 

What does good brand strategy look like?

A good brand strategy begins with a steady and strong brand identity. Using this as an anchor, a brand can establish a clear presence and cohesive image. 

If you could be anywhere in the world right now where would it be?

I would be in Paris, France! I visited the summer after my senior year of high school with my mom and was lucky enough to return for the Paris Olympics the following year — I am already planning my trip back after I graduate and CAN’T WAIT!

If you could go to dinner with one person living or dead who would it be?

I would have dinner with Princess Diana. Aside from the fact that I think she is absolutely the most elegant woman of all time, I really admire her strong character and love for those around her.

If you could describe Peyton Gray in three words what would they be?

I would describe myself as optimistic, determined and creative.

Tell us about a major milestone in your life?

One major milestone in my life was leading the recruitment of a pledge class of 95 members into my sorority at UT.  I learned so much about leadership, relationship building, analytics and teamwork all while making 95 freshmen comfortable and confident in a new place! 

From your perspective, how does Front Porch Marketing differentiate itself from other marketing companies?

What drew me into Front Porch Marketing, and what I believe sets the company apart, is how personable and intentional each member of the team is. Even in my interview I could tell how much each member was valued and supported, making me eager to join and get started. Front Porch is collaborative, intentional and genuinely people-oriented. 

Stepping onto the “Front Porch” for the first time, I knew I was entering a space dedicated to storytelling and strategy. But as I look back on my internship, I realize that the most impactful lessons didn’t come from a textbook; they came from watching how brands live and breathe in the real world. As well as personal branding and connection.

Marketing isn’t just about the “what” it’s about the “who” and the “why.” Reflecting on my time here, three things stand out as the foundation of everything I’ve learned: the intentionality of branding, the depth of brand loyalty, and the necessity of knowing your audience. 

Branding: More Than Just a Logo 

During my time at Front Porch, I’ve seen firsthand that a brand is a promise. It’s the consistent thread that runs through every social media post, every email, and every client interaction. A brand isn’t a static image; it is a living reputation. 

I’ve learned that successful branding requires: 

• Vulnerability: Being honest about a brand’s journey. 

• Consistency: Delivering the same message across every touchpoint. 

• Clarity: Knowing exactly what strengths and weaknesses you solve for your client. 

When a brand is built with intention, it stops being a service and starts being a solution.

The Weight of Branding and Loyalty 

We often talk about “getting” customers, but my internship taught me the importance of “keeping” them. Brand loyalty is the difference between a one-time transaction and a lifelong advocate. I’ve observed that the most successful clients we work with are those who don’t take their community for granted. 

Loyalty is earned in the quiet moments: when a brand responds to a difficult situation with grace, or when they choose quality over a quick fix. During my time here at Front Porch, I’ve realized that people don’t just stay loyal to a product; they stay loyal to how a brand makes them feel. When you stay true to your brand promise, your audience rewards you with the most valuable currency in marketing: trust. 

The Art of Connection to your Audience 

If branding is the “voice,” then the audience is the “listener.” One of my biggest takeaways from Front Porch is that you cannot speak effectively if you haven’t first listened. 

True audience connection involves: 

• Data with Soul: Looking beyond the numbers to see the people behind the clicks. 

• Empathy: Understanding the daily challenges and joys of the consumer. 

• Evolution: Recognizing that as your audience grows and changes, your strategy must as well. 

Marketing is a two-way conversation. My internship here at Front Porch has shown me that the “lucky” brands are just the ones that have done the hard work of truly understanding the person on the other side of the screen. Personal branding needs the priority of connection and loyalty.

Final Reflections on Branding and Connection 

As I wrap up this chapter, I’m leaving with a new perspective on how businesses connect with the world. Authentic marketing doesn’t shout at the crowd; it speaks to the individual. 

The “Front Porch” philosophy isn’t just about business; it’s about building a space where communication is genuine with branding and connection to your audience. These are the lessons that will guide me long after I’ve left the porch. 

This week, we’re welcoming Sydney McKinney to our team as our newest rocker! She is our new guru of problem-solving and detail, and who doesn’t love that! Sydney says she is thrilled to join the Front Porch team and looks forward to helping make everyone’s life a little easier every day.

Sydney sat down with us on the Porch for a chat:

1. What is the biggest misconception about about the work you do?

The biggest misconception is that all I do is color code and look at a calendar.

3. What advice would you give to younger Sydney McKinney?

Don’t worry so much and trust in the Lord.

4. What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned in your career?

When asked to do something outside of your comfort zone in a job, always say yes. You never know what opportunities might come out of it.

5. What does good work team look like?

A team that communicates well and can rely on each other.

6. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?

Sydney, Australia. I have always wanted to visit the location matching my name!

7. If you could go to dinner with one person, living or dead, who would it be?

I would have dinner with my grandma. She passed away when I was too young to have taken advantage of conversations with her so I would love to be able to chat with her now as an adult!

8. If you could describe Sydney McKinney in three words, what would they be?

Motivated. Planner. Friend.

9. Tell us about a major milestone in your life.

Becoming a mom in the last year has been a huge milestone and I am loving every second of it. My daughter is a true joy and an “easy” baby, so I have been so blessed in that regard as I navigate the new season of motherhood.

10. What is a fun fact about you?

I have been to all 50 states!

What’s coming up for Sydney McKinney on The Porch?

Well, we sure hope that Sydney gets to see Sydney sooner than later! We’re super excited to have her expertise on our team, as our client roster continues to grow and we take on more and more challenging assignments. Welcome Sydney!

We’re in the middle of several exciting branding projects with clients right now, so not a day goes by that I don’t talk about at least one of the three Cs that make a strong brand — conviction, consistency and connection. Today I’m going to expand a little on consistency and what that really means.

Consistency isn’t about saying the exact same thing over and over. It’s about showing up with clarity and cohesion across every touchpoint — your website, social media, sales conversations, proposals, email campaigns, even how your team answers the phone.

Deliver on Brand Promise with Consistency

Strong brands don’t rely on one great campaign to make big strides. They build momentum through repetition and by delivering on their brand promise every single time, over time.

When your messaging is steady, your visuals are recognizable, and your voice is clear, something powerful happens:

• Trust for your brand is built
• Confidence in your message increases
• Recognition of your brand grows
• Decision-making becomes easier for your audience

Consistency Helps Turn Strategy into Reputation

Conversely, inconsistency in how a brand shows up can slowly erode trust. When the message changes too often or the experience varies from one touchpoint to the next, it creates uncertainty.

We often see companies reinvent themselves too frequently — a new tagline, a new focus, or a new look. But growth doesn’t come from constant reinvention.

Consistency is what turns strategy into reputation and demonstrates you deliver on your brand promise.It transforms marketing from an activity into business impact. And while it may not be as flashy as a big campaign launch, it remains one of the most reliable drivers of long-term brand equity and business growth.

At Front Porch, we don’t overcomplicate things. We get straight to the point. Conviction. Consistency. Connection. That’s how strong, lasting brands are built.

You’ve just completed a big project — you’ve rebranded your business. Congrats! The brand is new and sparkling. It resonates with your team, clients and advocates. Your team and you, business owners and leaders, have all invested many resources, time and money and other things into this company. There is momentum after you rebrand, and internal teams are ready to communicate the new brand. Those whom you have announced the rebranding to are applauding.

Rebranding Is an Investment

Remember, you have invested in a new logo, so make sure that you show it off in all the right places. You’ll want to champion your brand to not just employees, but to advocates, associations and other external allies.

• Launch event for internal team to get the team excited about the rebrand
• New branding materials for internal and external  presentation of your brand
  • Collateral materials including business cards and letterhead
  • Team uniforms and swag
  • Building and conference room signage and materials
  • Website
  • New networking groups and associations to join
• A marketing plan and new messaging plan to communicate the new brand

What’s Next After You Are Rebranded?

For heaven’s sake, don’t stop there. Marketing is what’s next. Just because you have built it doesn’t mean they will come. Don’t pull back on marketing efforts. It’s time to really put that rebranding effort to work!

At a minimum, if you have updated your brand, enable your marketing and advertising partner to do the following:

1. Internal Engagement — Continue to foster your brand advocates. Investigate new ways to infuse your brand into your company culture and daily activities, i.e., invoices, customer communication, etc.
2. Digital Marketing
   1. Website — After your initial website build, continue to add new content
   1. Content Strategy — Include organic social posting and blog posting at a frequency your agency recommends
   1. Email Marketing — Clients and advocates want to hear from you. Do you have an email tool, template and plan to deploy? Remember, content should be news to use, not all about you. Help your audience.
   1. Paid Digital Strategy — Continue to challenge your existing digital partner to deliver on your investment. Listen to your marketing partner, as this world moves fast and they have their fingers on the pulse of the market.
3. Collateral — New opportunities beyond your basic package after you’ve rebranded, and will be identified as you move forwarded if your team and agency are in sync and communicate on a weekly basis.
4. New Opportunities —  These will be based on feedback from your team and you on what is working and what isn’t. There will always be new opportunities to explore. Decide what fits your brand and timing.
5. Monitor & Optimize — Our world is changing at the speed of light. Your marketing team is at the forefront of this and monitoring new opportunities. Ask them to provide continuous feedback on how your business can benefit from the latest and greatest advances.
6. So much more — With your agency you might explore traditional marketing, PR and Media Relations, Activations, Promotions and more.

Being Rebranded is Just the Beginning

Overall, please do not invest in rebranding if resources do not exist to execute on it for the long term. A new logo isn’t the end-all-be-all for your business success.

Want to learn more? Then we are happy to chat. Email julie@itsfrontporch.com.

Artificial intelligence isn’t just transforming marketing, it’s reshaping what it means to be human in a digital world. Over the past several months, I’ve explored AI through the lenses of philosophy, business strategy, and customer experience. What I discovered is simple but powerful: AI doesn’t replace the human role; it sharpens it.

As automation accelerates, the uniquely human skills, empathy, intuition, creativity, and judgment, become even more essential. The marketers who thrive in the next decade won’t be the ones who resist AI, but the ones who learn to orchestrate it.

AI and the Question of What Makes Us Human

One of the most surprising parts of studying AI is how quickly the conversation shifts from technology to identity. When systems become predictive enough to anticipate our needs, preferences, and behaviors, people instinctively push back, a psychological response known as reactance.

As Andy Murray, of Saatchi & Saatchi, emphasizes, AI can scale intelligence, but it cannot scale empathy, nuance, or meaning. It can generate content, but it cannot understand context. It can optimize, but it cannot care.

That distinction matters. Because the future isn’t about competing with AI, it’s about orchestrating it. Humans define the mission, the boundaries, and the values. Artificial Intelligence executes. The real risk isn’t that AI replaces us; it’s that we forget what only humans can do.

AI’s Impact on Modern Marketing

Marketing is undergoing a seismic shift. What used to be manual, content creation, targeting, optimization, is now increasingly automated. As Josh Bruns, of Genesis, shared, brands are already using AI to generate endless creative variations, tailor messaging to micro‑audiences, and build agentic shopping experiences where this tool makes decisions on behalf of consumers.

This doesn’t eliminate the marketer. It elevates the marketer.

AI handles production. Humans handle judgment.

The competitive edge becomes the ability to guide AI, to bring taste, strategy, and emotional intelligence to a world where content is infinite but meaning is scarce.

The Human Advantage

Here’s the truth that kept resurfacing throughout my research:

Artificial Intelligence accelerates the work, but humans elevate the meaning behind it.

As automation takes over research, production, and pattern recognition, the human role becomes more, not less, important. The future belongs to people who can pair machine speed with human understanding to build deeper relationships, make smarter decisions, and create more impactful work.

AI is the engine powering execution. Humans remain the driver, setting direction, values, and purpose.

How Small Surprises Build Lasting Brand Loyalty

The brands we love most rarely win us over all at once. Instead, they unfold over time. They reveal thoughtful details, unexpected moments, and small surprises that make the experience feel personal. Like finding an Easter egg hidden in plain sight, these moments create a sense of discovery. And more importantly, they give customers a reason to keep coming back.

In marketing, those “Easter eggs” aren’t accidental. They’re intentional touchpoints designed to surprise, delight, and deepen connection.

What Is a Brand “Easter Egg”?

A brand Easter egg is any unexpected detail, feature or moment that adds value beyond the obvious. It’s something a customer discovers rather than something you loudly promote.

It might be:

• A clever line of copy hidden on packaging
• A personalized follow-up email that feels human, not automated
• A thoughtful freebie included in an order
• A subtle visual detail that rewards repeat viewers
• An inside joke or reference your audience recognizes

These moments don’t need to be big. In fact, the smaller and more organic they feel, the more impactful they can be.

Why Easter Egg Moments Matter

Easter eggs work because they tap into emotion. They create a feeling of being “in on something”. It’s a quiet connection between brand and customer.

When done well, they:

• Encourage repeat engagement (“What else have I missed?”)
• Build emotional affinity, not just awareness
• Make the brand feel more human and thoughtful
• Turn passive customers into active fans

In a crowded marketplace, that kind of connection is what sets brands apart.

Where to Hide the Magic

The best part? Opportunities for these moments exist everywhere in your marketing.

In Your Messaging

Look beyond the headline. The body copy, subject lines, and even disclaimers are all chances to add personality and warmth. A well-placed, unexpected line can turn standard communication into something memorable.

In Your Customer Experience

From onboarding to follow-up, think about where you can exceed expectations. A simple thank-you note, a check-in that isn’t sales-driven, or a resource shared “just because” can leave a lasting impression.

In Your Design

Visual Easter eggs like subtle illustrations, hidden icons or layered details reward customers who take a closer look. These touches show care and craftsmanship, even if not everyone notices them right away.

In Your Process

Sometimes the “Easter egg” is how you work. Being unusually organized, communicative or thoughtful as a partner or provider can feel like a surprise in itself, especially in industries where that’s not the norm.

Practical Ways to Add Easter Eggs to Your Brand

If you want to start building these moments into your marketing, keep it simple and intentional:

• Think beyond the main message. Where are the overlooked spaces you can enhance?
• Reward loyalty. Give repeat customers something new to discover over time.
• Stay true to your voice. Surprises should feel natural, not forced.
• Focus on the audience. What would they find delightful or useful?
• Be consistent. One great moment is nice, but many small ones build a reputation.

The Long Game of Delight

Brand loyalty isn’t built through one campaign or one interaction. It’s built through a series of small, meaningful moments that accumulate over time.

When customers feel like there’s always something new to discover they don’t just engage. They stick around. So as you think about your next campaign, email or piece of content, ask yourself: Where can we hide a little Easter egg? Because sometimes, the smallest details are what people remember and what they come back for again and again.

AI in PR is here to stay, and its role will continue to expand. Looking ahead, AI can enhance personalization, enabling PR professionals to tailor their messages to individuals. Additionally, predictive analytics can help anticipate industry trends.

Here are some tips on how using AI in PR can assist professionals with media outreach.

AI in PR Helps Align Pitches to Journalists’ Interests

Harness the power of AI in public relations to shape your story in a manner that captivates journalists and aligns with what they consider compelling and important.

Media Lists That Go Beyond Name and Titles

When creating media lists, it is important to include more than just names and industries. Utilize AI to analyze a journalist’s recent work in depth. You can ask it to examine the journalist’s writing tone, common themes, story angles, and preferred sources. A good chatbot can review up to 50 articles at once, quickly identifying patterns that PR professionals might overlook.

Identifies Trends Before They Become Mainstream 

AI can analyze Google Trends, Reddit, trade newsletters, and niche blogs to identify emerging themes. Rather than simply reacting to the news, use this tool to shape the conversation for your brand.

Coverage in Real Time Using AI in PR

Artificial Intelligence can continuously monitor media coverage in real time, enabling it to identify and bring to light stories that may need further scrutiny. This includes ensuring accurate quote attribution and making necessary factual corrections, thereby enhancing the reliability and integrity of the information presented.

Final Thoughts on AI in PR

Using AI will not supplant the innate media relations instincts that PR professionals possess; instead, it will serve as a powerful tool to amplify and refine these skills. By leveraging AI technologies, PR experts can expect not only enhanced media coverage but also more strategic, impactful communication plans. This symbiosis between human intuition and advanced technology promises to drive better outcomes and foster stronger relationships with the media.